If you have coeliac disease, choose speculaas that is explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the current ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. A ready-to-eat pack is handy for a snack with no preparation, while baking your own gives you more control over the ingredients and portions—but takes time, and you’ll need to check everything you add.
You want to enjoy a speculaas biscuit mid-morning without relying on the product name alone. A strict gluten-free diet is recommended for coeliac disease in the Dutch Guideline Database, so check that the current packaging clearly states that the product is gluten-free.
As well as gluten, you may need to watch out for egg, milk, nuts, sesame or lupin. Allergen information varies by product, so a gluten-free label doesn’t replace those checks.
You want to decide for yourself how much to make and what ingredients to add. A gluten-free baking mix or a recipe gives you that option, as long as you check the individual ingredients too and take possible cross-contamination into account.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and considering any other allergies you have. Then decide whether you need ready-to-eat speculaas or have time to bake your own.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for an explicit ‘gluten-free’ label on the current packaging and read the ingredients list. | If I have coeliac disease, I don’t want to rely on the name ‘speculaas’ to decide whether a biscuit is suitable. For around 36% of consumers, confidence that a product is gluten-free would be their main concern. |
| Other allergens | Check the ingredients and allergen warnings for anything relevant to you, even on gluten-free products. | If I also need to avoid other allergens, I want to know what the biscuit contains or may contain. This additional check would be the main priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Ready-to-eat portion | Compare the pack size and portion information on the packaging, and check the storage instructions. | For a mid-morning snack, I want something I can take with me without baking it first. Around 21% of consumers would consider having it ready to eat the most important factor. |
| Baking your own | Check which ingredients you need to add to a mix and how much preparation the recipe involves. | If I bake ahead, I want to choose what I add and how big the portions are, but I also need to set aside time. For around 14% of consumers, having this control over the bake would be the main reason. |
A speculaas biscuit isn’t automatically suitable for someone with coeliac disease. According to Joybuy’s product information, De Ruiter Bakkersspeculaas lists wheat flour and wheat as an allergen.
Choose a product with an explicit gluten-free label and check the packaging before eating it.
Gluten-free speculaas can contain other allergens. For example, Albert Heijn and Jumbo list egg in their gluten-free speculaas, according to their product information.
Also read the other ingredients and allergen warnings if they’re relevant to you.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. Jumbo also says that its Consenza speculaas biscuits are no longer part of its online range.
Check the physical packaging when you buy, and check again that the product you want is available.
A baking mix needs additional ingredients, and each one must be suitable for your diet and any allergies you have. If the recipe includes almonds, you’ll need to check those too.
Check every ingredient you add before you start baking.
Baking your own also takes time to prepare: the instructions for AH’s speculaas baking mix recommend chilling for at least an hour and baking for around 16 minutes.
Albert Heijn lists a 125 g pack of ready-to-eat gluten-free speculaas.
Jumbo lists gluten-free speculaas in a 125 g pack.
Consenza is another gluten-free speculaas option to compare; Jumbo lists a 100 g pack.
Lotus Biscoff is a well-known biscuit brand to distinguish from speculaas labelled gluten-free; it isn’t automatically a gluten-free option.
In the Netherlands, the ‘gluten-free’ label is governed by Regulation (EU) No 828/2014: the gluten content must not exceed 20 mg/kg. Also check the current packaging for ingredients and other allergens.
Don’t rely on a quick glance or the product name alone. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that the specific type of grain must be listed among the ingredients for cereals containing gluten. Read the list carefully and look for an explicit gluten-free label. For example, according to Joybuy, De Ruiter Bakkersspeculaas lists wheat flour.
No, the gluten-free label doesn’t mean that other allergens are absent. The speculaas products described by Albert Heijn and Jumbo contain egg. Check the other ingredients and warnings on the packaging of the product you choose too.
Check the finished product’s gluten-free label and allergen information. For oats in food labelled gluten-free, Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 also sets requirements to prevent contamination with wheat, rye and barley, and limits the gluten content of the oats.
Check both the mix or recipe and every ingredient you add yourself. The instructions for Albert Heijn’s gluten-free baking mix mention butter or margarine and plant-based milk, among other ingredients. If the recipe includes almonds, make sure those are suitable too.
